Ditching machine



iVIarch 9 1926.

J14 cantor,

T L COLLINS DITOHING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 771o/m5'L60Lu/vd Filed Sept. 29, 1925 March 9 1926.

T. L. COLLINS DITCHING MACHINE 7 Filed Sept. 9 925 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Him" amnion :77/0M/76 L.COLLl/Y6' March 9 1926.

T. L. COLLINS DITCHING MACHINE Filed Sept 29, 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 T L. COLLINS DITCHING MACHINE March 9 1926.

4 Sheets-Sheet 4:

Filed Sept. 29, 1925 KX M Patented Mar. 2, 1925.

warren stares THOMAS LEE COLLINS, 0F SARASOTA, FLORIDA.

DITCHING MACHINE.

Application-filed September 29, 1925.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS L. COLLINS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sarasota, in the county of Sarasota and State of Florida, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ditching Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to excavators and more particularly to ditching machines.

An object of the invention is the provision of a ditching machine having improved means for conveying the earth dug from the machine.

A further object is to provide an apparatus consisting of a rotary drum having knives arranged on its periphery and adapted to cut into the earth, the cut earth being delivered to the interior of the drum which is provided with agitators for reducing clumps to a finer material more readily adapted to be passed through a conveyer.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown one embodiment of the invention. In this showing,

Figure 1 is a plan view,

Figure 2 is a side elevation,

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view on line 33 of Figure 1,

Figure at is a vertical sectional view on line t-et of Figure 2,

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view on line 5-5 of Figure 1,

Figure 6 is a side elevation of the cutting drum viewed from the opposite side from Figure 2,

Figure 7 is a Vertical sectional view through the drum taken on line 77' of Figure 5,

Figure 8 isan enlarged sectional view of a portion of the drum taken in substantially the same plane as Figure 5, and,

Figure 9 is a detail view of a portion of the main shaft.

Referring to the drawings, the apparatus comprises an upper frame consisting of side members 1 which are connected at their ends by cross members 2. An auxiliary longitudinal member 3 is arranged between the side members and a pair of inner transverse me abers 1 are provided which extend be yond the side members and are connected by a longitudinally extending member 5. The machine is further provided with a lower frame 6 connected to the upper frame by vertical members 7 and inclined members 8, In operation the lower frame is spaced Serial 110359392.

slightly above the ground level as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings and the apparatus is drawn or otherwise conveyed over the land by means of a tractor or the like.

An engine 9 or other source of power is mounted on the upper frame and the main shaft of the engine is connected to a transmission '10. The transmission shaft extends into a gear box 11 provided with suitable gearing (not shown) adapted to drive a main shaft 12. The cutter consists of a drum 13 formed of spaced side walls as shown in Figure 5 of the drawings and this cutter is mounted on the main shaft 12 to revolve therewith. As shown the shaft is Supported in suitable bearings 14 carried by the lower frame. Between the side walls of the cutter I provide a plurality of curved plates 15 which project beyond the edges of the plates and are provided with knife edges 16. The main shaft is provided with. a suitable clutch 1'7 controlled by a lever 18 by means of which the drum may be connected to the source of power. Surrounding the main shaft I provide a conveyer shell 19 havinga ribbon conveyer 20 arranged therein and this conveyer shell extends within the drum and is provided with an opening 21 through which the dirt within the drum passes into the conveyer. On one side of the conveyor I provide a tooth 22 which is adapted to engage the earth slightly in. advance of the cutters 16 forming a clean out side wall. On the frame adjacent the drum I provide an arcuate plate 23. l Vithin the drum I provide a plurality of rolls 2% arranged between the pairs of plates 15 and these rolls are provided with projecting teeth or prongs 25 and serve as agitators. As shown, the i'ollsaie.niounted on suitable shafts 26 which are journaled in the side walls of the frame as at 27 and provided with suitable ball. bearings 28. On the side of the drum ad'acent the Lil-ate 23 he shafts are provided with friction rollers 29 which are adapted to contact with the curved plate 23 to revolve the agitators.

The conv yer shell 19 communicates with a longitudinally extending inclined conveyer consisting of a substantially trougl'i shaped member formed of a bottom 30 and side walls 31. At one end of this conveyor there is provided a shaft 32 ha ing a hollow drum 33 mounted thereon. This drum is pro vided with an opening'l in one of its end walls through which the material passes from,

the conveyor shell 19 and is further pro vided with spaced openings 35 in its periph cry through which thematerial passes into the conveyor casing. At the opposite end of the trough there is provided a conveyor drive shaft 36 which extends across the rear of the machine (see Figure 1) and is provided with a bevel gear 37 on its opposite end mounted in a suitable gear box 38. As shown, the shaft is supported in a bearing 39 adjacent its end which bearing is carried by the frame of the machine. The conveyor drive shaft isdriven from the main shaft byineans of a longitudinally extending main shaft 40 which is mounted in suitable bearings ll carried by the frame and is provided with a bevel gear 42 within the gear box 88 meshing with the bevel gear 37. The opposite end of the shaft 4-0 is provided with a bevel gear 43 meshing with the bevel gear 44. on the main shaft.

As shown (see Figure 3) a drum 4-5 is mounted on the conveyor shaft within the conveyer casing. An endless member consisting of side sections 46 connected by transverse plates 45? passes over the drums 33 and s5 and conveys the material along the bottom of the conveyor 30 to the rear of the machine whence it is dumped. at one side of the ditch.

l he operation of the device will be apparent from the foregoing description. The machine is drawn over the surface and with the lower frame 6 snbstantiallyon the level of the surface the drum 13 projects below the surface. When the clutch 17 is connected to rotate the drum the knife edges 16 dig into the earth to form a ditch of substantially the same width as the'drum as indicated in Figure 2 of the drawings. As d, the knife 22 arranged on the side a clean cut bank or side wall and also forms a clearance for the friction rollers These rollers are revolved during that portion of the revolution when they are in engagement with the arcuate plate 23 and the agitating rolls in the drum break up the material cut by the knives. The ma terial out is retained in the spaces between the curvedplates15 until it reaches the upper portion of the cruni whence it is delivered by gravity into the conveyer shell ll) and thence carried to the main conveyor at the side of the machine. The material is then carried up *ardly along the bottom is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, sure, and arrangementof )arts may be resorted to without departing fromv the spirit 7 of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim: 1. In a device of the a frame, a drum rotatably mounted on said frame, said drum comprising spaced side walls and plates arranged between said walls and extending beyondthe peripheral edges of said walls, the outer edges of said plates being provided with knife edges, a cutting element carried by one of said walls on the exterior and projecting beyond the edge of the wall, a conveyer arranged beside said drum, and a second convey-er extending axially of said drum and adapted to deliver material from said drum to said first eonveyer.

.2. In a device of the character described, a frame, a drum rotatably mounted on said frame, said drum comprising spaced side walls and plates arranged between said walls and extending beyond the peripheral edges of said walls, the outer edges of said plates being provided with knife edges, an arouate plate carried by said frame and disposed beside said drum, a plurality of shafts jourcharacter described,

naled in the walls of said drum, friction V rollers carried by said shafts exteriorly of said drum and adapted to engage said arcuate plate to rotate said shafts, and agitators carried by said shafts.

A device constructed in accordance with claim 2 wherein said agitators consist of rollers having a plurality of projecting prongs arranged thereon.

l. In a device of the character described, a frame, a drum rotatably mounted on said frame, said drum eonrprising space-d side walls and plates arranged between said side walls and extending beyond the peripheral edges of said walls, the outer edges ofsaid plates being provided with knife edges, agitators arrangedbetween said plates, at convey-earranged beside said drnn'i, and means for delivering material from said drum to said conveyor.

In testimony whereof .l affix my signature. 

